Town Annexed by Houston
Spurs Down-Home Battle

One recent afternoon, Houston police moved into the affluent suburb of Kingwood and began patrolling the serene bedroom community.

Kingwood had just been annexed by the city, and the police presence was intended to show that Houston would be as vigilant as Kingwood's outgoing security force. But to many of Kingwood's 55,000 residents, who never had a chance to vote on the annexation issue, the action was an egregious display of muscle...